A piper dakota pilot spends too much time setting the directional gyro and loses 500 ft altitude.

Attributes
ACN	514440
Time
Date	200106
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : phl.tracon
State Reference	PA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3500 msl bound upper : 4000
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-28 Cherokee/Archer II/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 17.1 flight time total : 1018 flight time type : 800
ASRS Report	514440
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : returned to assigned altitude flight crew : returned to intended or assigned course
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Took off at XA002 from N57 after clearance from phl approach. Flew to modina VOR and was cleared direct allentown at 4000 ft. At about XB15Z gyro was wondering aimlessly. Contacted by phl approach. Advised heading west and had dropped 50 ft. Climbed back up, and then set compass. Controller called back with new heading but she was garbled and she could not hear me. Another pilot advised her that he could hear me call her to comply with heading change and I could hear him but not her. Received a garbled message to contact allentown. Did so and no radio problem. Rest of the trip uneventful. To avoid directional problem and distraction brought on by gyro, I should move more quickly to compass and pay special attention to altitude.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PIPER DAKOTA PLT SPENDS TOO MUCH TIME SETTING THE DIRECTIONAL GYRO AND LOSES 500 FT ALT.

Narrative: TOOK OFF AT XA002 FROM N57 AFTER CLRNC FROM PHL APCH. FLEW TO MODINA VOR AND WAS CLRED DIRECT ALLENTOWN AT 4000 FT. AT ABOUT XB15Z GYRO WAS WONDERING AIMLESSLY. CONTACTED BY PHL APCH. ADVISED HDG W AND HAD DROPPED 50 FT. CLBED BACK UP, AND THEN SET COMPASS. CTLR CALLED BACK WITH NEW HDG BUT SHE WAS GARBLED AND SHE COULD NOT HEAR ME. ANOTHER PLT ADVISED HER THAT HE COULD HEAR ME CALL HER TO COMPLY WITH HDG CHANGE AND I COULD HEAR HIM BUT NOT HER. RECEIVED A GARBLED MESSAGE TO CONTACT ALLENTOWN. DID SO AND NO RADIO PROB. REST OF THE TRIP UNEVENTFUL. TO AVOID DIRECTIONAL PROB AND DISTR BROUGHT ON BY GYRO, I SHOULD MOVE MORE QUICKLY TO COMPASS AND PAY SPECIAL ATTN TO ALT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.